Why not Pakhtookhwa..? I
asked that questions several non-Pakhtoon Pakistanis and so far did not get an
intelligent answer that would justify opposition to renaming NWFP as
Pakhtoonkhwa. Why can Punjabis have Punjab, Sindhis Sindh , Baloochis
Balouchistan , but Pakhtoons can't have Pakhtoonkhwa..? What that says about
the status of Pathans in Pakistan ..? why we Pakhtoon are being treated like
occupied Palestine who will breakaway at the first chance...? and if we do
decided to break off , trust me with all its might, Pakistan can't prevent us.
Pakistan couldn't beat Bengalis into submission and it can never force Pakhtoon into submission. Its stupid that some people who consider themselves
super patriotic imply that Pakhtoons are any less patriotic than themselves.
Let me remind those self declared super Pakis that Punjab did not have any
option except joining Pakistan. Punjab had to chose between joining Pakistan
or cleaning after the Hindus. The same with Sindh and Balouchistan. But we Pakhtoon had a choice to join our brothers in Afghanistan, with whom we share
not only our ancestry but our culture, our history, our tradition, and our
language, but Pakhtoons decided to stay with Pakistan for the sake of Islamic
brotherhood. How can someone from Punjab or Sindh or any other part of
Pakistan give us a lecture on patriotism..? I think these people are the one
who needs a lesson in patriotism, because by suppressing minorities right and
denying them their identity they are weakening Pakistan NOT us. Its tragic
that Pakistan did NOT learn any lesson from history. Bengalis were at the
forefront in the struggle for Pakistan but when Pakistan suppressed them and
denied them their rights and their identity what happened ..? We all know the
end result. By calling Bengalis traitors because they demanded their rights
they were converted into traitors. Where in the history of any democratic
country a party who won the election like the Bengalis been refused the right
to form government..? Alas we could learn from history because if we don't ,
history is doomed to repeat itself. Please someone help me Understand how
renaming NWFP is gona break Pakistan..? and please don't give me the crap
about patriotism and Islamic unity. Whats wrong with Pakhtoons having their
identity in Pakistan like Punjabis, Sindhis, and Balouchis..? O.K fine we
would not demand Pakhtoonkhwa, lets change the names of Punjab, sindh, and
Balouchitstan. Lets all be just Muslims. No Punjab, no Sindh, no Balouchistan,
and no Pakhtonkhwa. Its not gona work to tell us Pakhtoon to be just Pakistani
and Muslims while you have your Punjab, Sindh, and Balouchistan. About the
Islam , how does being Pakhtoon makes us automatically opponents of Islamic
unity..? Its Ironic that we Pakhtoons are being given lectures about Islam.
May be one should go visit Lahore , Karachi etc. and than visit Peshawar and
the rest of Pakhtonkhwa. You will find out there is much more islam in
Pakhtonkhwa than in Punjab, Sindh, or any other parts of Pakistan. We Pakhtoons were Muslims a thousand yeas before there was any such thing as
Pakistan, We were muslims when the rest of Pakistani's ancestors were still hindus, we were muslims long before there was any sign of islam in Punjab,
Sindh, or any other part of Pakistan. Recall the Pakhtoon kings from
Afghanistan who conquered the Sub-Continent and marched all the way to Delhi
more than 17 times spreading islam in those areas. If it wasn't for those Pakhtoon armies and kings and religious preacher, most of the Pakistanis would
probably still be Hindus. It was Ahmad Shaha Abdali a Pakhtoon King from
Afghanistan who marched to India on invitation of Shah Wali-Ullah and defeated
the growing power of Hindus. Its was the Pakhtoon Mujahideen NOT the Pakistan
army who liberated Kashmir from the hands of Hindus what is now called " Azad
Kashmir ". So please stop using Islam to suppers the rights of Pakhtoons. As
you people might recall islam did not stopped the creation of Bangladesh and islam is not gona stop the creation of Independent Pashtunistan if the Pakhtoons were not given their rights. If anyone is still not convinced about
the injustices against Pakhtoons in Pakistan, I would like to ask a few
questions to make my point clear. (1) how come Punjabis can have Punjab, Sindhis Sindh, and Balochis can have Balouchistan, but Pakhtoons can not have Pakhtonkhwa..? (2) Why is the electricity generated in Pakhtonkhwa
transmitted all the way to Lahore and Karachi but some areas of Pakhtonkhwa
still don't have electricity and the ones that have electricity, they have the
so called load shedding for three up to three days continuously. (3) How
come Punjab gets paid for growing carrots , and turnips but our electricity
revenues are stolen by the federal government..? (4) How come all the
government funded industries are set up in Punjab and Sindh while Pakhtonkhwa
is being kept backward industrially..? (5) How come tax free industrial
zones are setup in other parts of Pakistan but industries in Pakhtonkhwa are
heavily taxed thus discouraging any potential investors. As it is, some
people don't seem to be able to stand just the name Pakhtonkhwa let alone
addressing the other issues and tragically without using their brains accuse
anybody who talks about Pakhtoon rights of treason. When you constantly keep
accusing someone of something they are not than they become what they are
accused of. Its not about breaking Pakistan, its about our rights and by
denying us our rights and our identity we are being pushed to opt for
Independent Pashtunistan and like I said the islam trick is not gona work
because no other group of people in Pakistan can match Pakhtoons their love
for Islam and fight for Pakhtoon▓s is not UNISLAMIC, on the contrary its
exactly Islam to stand up to the group of thieves that are looting the
resources of Pakhtoonkhwa and depriving Pakhtoons of their rights.
Pashtoon,
Also spelled PUSHTOON, or PAKHTOON, Hindustani PATHAN, Persian AFGHAN, Pashtu-speaking people
of Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They constitute the majority of
the population of Afghanistan and bore the exclusive name of Afghan before that
name came to denote any native of the present land area of Afghanistan.
About the origins of the Pashtoon, most scholars believe it more
likely that they arose from an intermingling of ancient Aryans from the north or
west with subsequent invaders. Several Pashtun clans are known to have moved
from Afghanistan to Pakistan between the 13th and 16th century. Each clan,
consisting of kinsmen who trace descent in the male bloodline from a common clanial ancestor, is divided into subclans, and patriarchal families. Clanial
genealogies establish rights of succession and inheritance and the right to use
tribal lands and to speak in tribal council. Disputes over property, women, and
personal injury often result in blood feuds between families and whole clans;
these may be inherited unless settled by the intervention of clan chiefs or by
council of elder.
The Pashtoon are farmers, herdsmen, and warriors. Most are
sedentary farmers, combining cultivation with animal husbandry; some are
migratory herdsmen and caravaners. Large numbers of them have always been
attracted to military service.
There are estimated to be about 12,500,000(est. 1982) Pashtun in
Afghanistan and 14,000,000 in Pakistan. They comprise about 60 clans of
varying size and importance, each of which occupies a particular territory. In
Afghanistan, where Pashtun are the predominant ethnic group, the main clans are
the Durrani and the Ghilzay.
In Pakistan, Pashtoon predominate north of Quetta between the Sulaiman Range and the Indus River. In the hill areas the main clans are,
from south to north: the Kakar, Sherani, and
Ustarana south of the Gumal River; the Mahsud,
Darwesh Khel, Waziri, and Bitani
between the Gumal River and Thal; the Turi, Bangash,
Orakzay, Afridi, and Shinwari from Thal to
the Khyber Pass; and the Mohmand, Utman Khel,
Tarklani, and Yusufzay north and northeast of the
Khyber.
The settled areas include lowland tribes subject to direct
administration by the provincial government. The main clans there are, from
south to north: the Banuchi and Khatak from the Kurram
River to Nowshera; and the Khalil and Mandan in the Vale of
Peshawar.
Pakhtuns:
origin and history Gul
Rahman Mohmand
To render sacrifices for the sake of a
glorious cause, irrespective of selfish motives is the spirit of the Pakhtuns. Pakhtunkhwa in itself is a code of life irrespective of
policies, rules or regulations set by government in the tribal territories. The
tribal people rarely commit dacoity, robbery and adulterations and are
hospitable to guests and strangers. They respect ladies; no matter how long
their enmity, ladies from the enemy side are respected and exempted from
revenge. If any of the enemies violate these codes it is blamed and accused of dishonouring Pukhtunwali. Are you not a Pakhtun to do such wrong? If a stranger
seeks shelter in a tribal Pathan's house, hewould rather sacrifice his life than
let any harm befall him. He does so with great pride and says I am a Pakhtun. I would give my life for my guest if need be. If one does not fast in
the month of Ramazan or miss prayers, he is asked: are you not a Pakhtun to
observe the sanctity of Ramazan or miss prayers?
Pakhtu itself is a code which a Pakhtun
does not want to deviate from. A nations history plays a key role in its rise
and fall. It is in this way that it becomes obligatory up on the followers to
omit or commit, to own or disown to make or mar their own history. The followers
are often supposed to own their ancestors great achievements. Like any history
making nation in the world, Pakhtuns too, have a brilliant and proud history.
This history is spread over a vast span of time and almost all non-Pakhtuns
columnist know the history of Pakhtun but due to prejudice, they try to
overshadow this glorious history by presenting distorted facts. They don't realise that by distorting facts, they leave so many people
disgusted.
The first reference to Pakhtun nation was
made in the books Ragvan Pakht and Pakhta and supposed that Pakhtuns were Aryan
by caste. Later in 500 AD, Roman historians referred to Pakhtuns as
Pakhtwan and their abode as Pakteen. All these indicate that the history of Pakhtuns and Pakhtunkhwa is older than 500 AD. The word Pathan has Arabic roots
and is derived from the word Batan meaning the front of a warship that
faces all odds if any in the water flow. It was for these martial qualities,
that the Arabs gave the Pakhtuns the name Batan, which latter became Pathan in
the course of time.
Similarly before the advent of Islam, the
Armenians called the the tribal people Pakhtuwan which is the early form of
Afghan Pakhtuns/Pathans comprising Afridi, Mohmands, Yousafzai, Bangash,
Khattak, Orakzai, Wazir-Masud and Kakars.
These different tribes are Pakhtuns by
origin. The arrival of Pakhtuns in Hind is spread over two periods. One is right
after the death of Muhammad Ghauri in 1206 when Qutbuddin Aibak established a
new dynasty as Ghulaman. He enlisted majority of Pakhtun soldiers into his Ghulaman army. He did so because of the bravery and loyalty of Pakhtuns.
The Pakhtuns proved their worth by
defending the subcontinent from the onslaught of enemies. Due to their devotion
and dedication, this period is called the Afghan period. Afterwards , the
rule of Mughal started in 1526 and lasted upto 1857,when theEnglish took over
the sub continent.
In this latter period, Pakhtuns spread
over the whole India. Many Pakhtuns ruled various parts of India including
Delhi, the capital of India. Amongst them were Ahmad Shah Abdali, Nadir Shaha nd
Amir Abdur Rehman. The Pakhtuns
have fought bravely against the English, the Sikhs, the Marhatas and the Mughals.They have always preferred death over disgrace for the sake of
country.
Urdu poetry was introduced in the 19th
century in the subcontinent while that of Pakhto dates back to 139 hijra. The
first Pakhtu poet Amir Kror wrote a Pashto poem saying I see no man like myself
in Hind, Sindh and even in Kabul. Khushal Khan Khattak born in 1022 is said to
be the author of 72 Pashto written books.
His vigorous national poetry reflects an
everlasting aspiration for the unity of Pakhtuns and is praised in golden words
by Allama Iqbal. The masterpiece of Khushal Khan Khattak Baznama has been
translated as Shaheen by Allama Iqbal in Urdu and Persian. Similarly Khushal
Khan Khattak is the contemporary of Abdul Rehman Baba whose mystical and
religious poems are read all over the world.
By Azim Afridi Source: Monthly Diplomat
PAKHTOONS:LAND AND PEOPLE
The history of the North West
Frontier , particularly the Federally Administered Tribal Areas is full of
romance and glorious adventures and numerous legends are woven around the
character of its inhabitants. This land of patriotic, virile and hardy
mountaineers stood witness to countless historic events. It saw the
caravans of invaders passing through the mountains and celebrated passes
on their way to the rich and fertile plains of the South Asian
sub-continent. It witnessed the march of
renowned conquerors and soldiers of fortune, viewed with
interest the progidies of valour and feats of bravery and above all scenes of
spirited battles. This part had, perhaps, been involved in more foreign
invasions than any country of the world. Its charming valleys were echoing with
the cries of war and are still vibrating with the thuds of the horses of
Alexander, Mahmud, the idol breaker and other famous captains who made this area
their base of operations against the rulers of India.
The tribal area comprising the territories lying between the
administered districts of NWFP and the `Durand Line' is spread over an area of
10510 square miles. In this mountainous tract live 25,07,000 sturdy, well built
and self reliant Pathans who prefer to be called Pukhtoons.
Tribal area, partly a land of dry ravines and rocky hills and
partly consisting of green plateaus, enchanting valleys and picturesque
landscape is full of natural beauty. At places the rugged hills, gushing
streams, green fields and clusters of fortified hamlets among the glens and
dales present a fine and peculiarly attractive scenery. The lush green valleys
of Kurram Agency; the smiling dales of Bajaur Agency; the picturesque valleys of
North and South Waziristan Agencies and heart-captivating scenery, lofty pine
trees, groves and patches of green fields of Tirah and Orakzai Agency present, happly, a scene unrivalled anywhere. Tirah, the queen of the Khyber Agency,
described as "Garden of Eden" can be compared to Switzerland and the Kurram
Agency can favourably compete with Kashmir in beauty and scenic grandeur. A
romantic halo, in short, surrounds this much-talked but less understood area.
These lovely hills and dales of tourist attraction have not yet been fully
opened up for tourists.
The historic Khyber Pass and the craftsmanship of the
un-educated tribesmen working in the arms manufacturing factories of Dara Adam
Khel (Kohat Pass), Illam Godar (Khyber Agency) and Kaniguram (South Waziristan
Agency) further add to the splendour of the tribal belt.
It is a tangle of difficult mountains intersected by long narrow
valleys, innumerable gorges and torrent beds interspersed with patches of
cultivable land. This huge mass of mountains varies in elevation from 5,000 to
15,000 feet. The highest is the Sika Ram peak in Sufaid Koh range which is
15,620 feet above the sea level.
The climatic conditions of the region vary from extreme cold in
the snow-clad mountains to hot and sultry in the plains. The rain-fall is
scanty, varying from 60 inches in the hills to 15 inches or less in the plains
in a year.
PASSES: The Khyber, the Nawa and the Gomal are the most
important passes of this mountainous region which provided communication between
the South Asian Sub-Continent and Central Asia, even in the distant past. These
passes, particularly Khyber, stand testimony to countless events in the history
of mankind and watched with great interest the march of the Aryans descending on
the fertile plains of the Sub-Continent. Successive waves of Persians, Greeks, Bactrians, Scythians, White Huns, Kushans, Mongols, Turks and Mughals rode
through these passes and changed the course of history in this part of the
world.
The Persian explorers and adventurers under Darius and the Greek
conquerors under Alexander the Great, passed through these passes with an
ambition to conquer the land known as "Repository of gold" and thus assuage
their thirst for gold and conquest. Free booters from Central Asia made use of
these gate-ways, particularly the Khyber Pass, to satisfy their lust for fame,
wealth and power. Muslim conquerors like the famous Mahmud of Ghazna, Shahabud
Din Mohammad Ghori and Zaheerud Din Babar traversed the celebrated Khyber Pass
several times which ultimately resulted in the setting up of a mighty Muslim
Empire in India.
The historic Khyber Pass which holds some of the most checqered
and fascinating romances of the past stands out prominently in recorded history.
Around its name gleams a halo un-rivalled in the history of mankind. No other
pass in the world has, perhaps, enjoyed such strategic importance and historic
association.
There are three roads in the Khyber Pass, including the old
caravan route for mules and camels, the fascinating zig-zag road with many bends
and curves for vehicular traffic and the well engineered railway extension,
completed in 1925. The Railway line, considered to be a feat of modern
engineering, threads its circuitous way through 34 tunnels before terminating at Landi Khana, the last Railway Station near the Pak Afghan border at Torkham.
The ancient caravan route of the Khyber Pass has been a passage
of destiny since times immemorial. Kings and conquerors troded this route
through the centuries and trade between the South Asian Sub-Continent and
Central Asia was carried on through it. Such, in short, is the splendour of this
gate-way to South Asia which is inhabited by Afridis and Shinwaris, Wardens of
the Marches of the North West Frontier of Pakistan.
HOUSES: The Pukhtoons live in fortified villages and
hamlets. Their houses, in a village, lie close together in a compact block, only
streets separating them into Mahlats (Muhallahs). Usually made of clay, wood and
stone, the houses consist of two or three rooms with no windows or ventilators
(for security reasons), a courtyard called "Gholay" and a Veranda. A Tanoor
(Oven) for baking loaves, a matting corn
bin for storage of grains, a cattle pen or an enclosure made of bushes called
`Shpol' for cattle and a hand mill called `Maichan' can also be seen in most of
the houses. Every house is thus built to shelter the family, cattle and poultry
alike. The outer sides of the walls of the houses are generally used for
plastering cow dung cakes for drying, which are used as fuel. The charpaee
(bedstead) is the most familiar piece of furniture in a house for sleeping and
for sitting.
Houses are decorated in oriental fashion and a clay shelf about
three feet high and two feet wide is constructed inside a residential room for
keeping crockery etc. Tables and chairs are also used in the houses of
well-to-do families.
The tribal life has undergone a change since Independence. Blood
feuds and tribal hostilities have largely ceased to exist and tranquil
conditions prevail which have greatly benefited the tribesmen. The comparatively
peaceful conditions have ushered in an era of peace, progress and prosperity and
changed the face of the hills and valleys. The old mud houses are now being
replaced by pucca houses with proper ventilation and other hygienic
requirements.
FOOD: The food of an average Pukhtoon is simple. He has
two principal meals a day, taking lunch between 11 and 12 O' clock and supper at
sun-set. It consists of whole-meal bread called `Dodai' or `Teekala', vegetables
and meat. Bread is usually made of wheat or maize flour. It is baked in an oven
called `Tanoor' or made into a loaf on a flat iron pan called `Tabakhay' or
`Taighna'.
Wheat is the staple food grain and it is in common use but maize
is also consumed, mostly by the poor in winter. The use of forks and knives is
alien to their nature and they partake of their meal with the right
hand.
Pukhtoons are fond of Chapli Kabab and Pullao is considered
essential on festive occasions. Supping Qahwa after delicious meal is also
common.
The diet and other habits of the Pukhtoons are changing due to
the spread of education, rise in living standards and constant contacts with the
people of urban areas. Now dinner and tea sets, chairs and tables have found
their way into the houses of the well-off tribesmen.
AGRICULTURE: Agriculture is the main occupation of the
tribesmen and they support themselves by extensive cultivation of their lands in
the plains, river beds and mountain. It is supplemented by cattle breeding.
Incidentally Waziristan is famous for Sheep breeding. Wheat and maize are the
two principal crops but paddy, barley, mustard and even poppies are grown as
alternative crops. Cultivation is done by conventional methods. Oxen are
generally used for agricultural purposes in the plough, thrashing ground and
sometimes used as beasts of burden.
Fruits are found in abundance and vegetables are also grown. The
Golden Delicious variety of apples of the Kurram Agency are well known for their flavour and sweetness. Malakand Agency is famous for its highly prized Malta and
North and South Waziristan are known for the good quality of plums and pine
kernels (Chalghozas). Apricots, pears, peaches, pomegranates and valnut trees
are also grown in Kurram, Tirah and other fertile tracts of the tribal
areas.
The tribal area is rich in forest wealth. Timber is available in
abundance as Ilex, pine, deodar and the edible blue pines grow on the mountains
with altitude above 6,000 feet. The inner hills are thickly wooded with olive,
sloe gurgura and wild bushes like mazri which is used for making bedsteads,
mats, chaplis and baskets.
Since Independence there has been a steady increase in the
cultivated area. A great deal has been done to bring more and more land under
cultivation and a lot more is in the process of accomplishment to make the
tribal area self sufficient in food.
ADMINISTRATION: The Federally Administered Tribal Areas
are divided into the following units:-
(i) Bajaur Agency
(ii) Mohmand Agency
(iii) Khyber Agency
(iv) Kurram Agency
(v) Orakzai Agency
(vi) North Waziristan Agency
(vii) South Waziristan Agency
(viii) Malakand Agency
(xi) Special areas (Frontier Regions) attached to the districts
of
Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Tank and
Dera Ismail Khan.
The administration in the Agencies is run by the Political
Agents and in the special areas attached to the districts by the respective
Deputy Commissioners. The Political Agent is the `Kingpin' around which revolves
the entire Agency administration. He is accountable to the provincial governor
who also acts as an Agent to the President for tribal areas. The Political Agent
coordinates the functions of nation building departments in the Agency and
controls the tribesmen through a system of tribal and territorial
responsibility, which, of course, is the key stone of the arch of political
administration. The Political Agent usually does not interfere in the affairs of
the tribesmen and intervenes only when a grave situation arises. He exercises
his benign influence in case of the outbreak of tribal hostilities. The success
of a Political Agent largely depends upon his personal influence and ability to
tackle a difficult situation. He is assisted in his work by a small band of
officers, including Assistant Political Officers, Tehsildars and Naib
Tehsildars.
The Agencies were set up by the British when the closed-door and
Forward Policy did not achieve the desired objectives. The Khyber was created as
a special Political Agency in 1878, Kurram in 1892 and Malakand, North and South
Waziristan Agencies came into existence in 1895-96. Mohmand Agency was added to
the existing strength of the Agencies in 1951 and two new Agencies, namely Bajaur and Orakzai were created in December 1973 with headquarters at Khar and
Hangu respectively. The peculiar feature of the Agency administration is that
tribesmen have been left to be governed by their customs and traditions. The
British control too, was only confined to roads, military installations and
places of strategic importance.
By Azim Afridi Source:Monthly Dimplomat
HISTORY
TRIBES: The famous Pukhtoon tribes, to mention a few, are Yousafzais of Bajaur and Malakand Agencies, Afridis of Khyber Agency, Kohat and
Peshawar, Mohmands of Mohmand Agency, Orakzais of Orakzai Agency, Turis and
Bangash of Kurram Agency, Waziris of North Waziristan Agency, Mahsuds and Urmars
of South Waziristan Agency, and Bhittanis and Sheranis attached to Tank and D.I.
Khan Districts. The Khattak tribe of the well known warrior-poet Khushal Khan
Khattak is also one of the well known tribes of Peshawar and Kohat border. There
are other smaller tribe such as Shinwaris, Mullagoris, Shilmanis, Safis,
Zaimukht, Muqbil, Mangal, Zadran, Para Chamkani, Kharoti, Jadoon and Daur
etc.
ORIGIN OF THE PATHANS
ETHNOLOGY: Different hypotheses have been suggested about
the origin of the Pukhtoons. Khawaja Niamatullah describes them as descendants
of Jews, connecting them with the lost ten tribes of Israel. This theory of the
Semitic origin of the Pukhtoons has been supported by some Pukhtoon writers,
including Hafiz Rahmat Khan, Afzal Khan Khattak and Qazi Attaullah Khan. A
number of orientalists like H.W. Bellew, Sir William Jones and Major Raverty
have also subscribed to this view on the basis of Pukhtoon physiogonomy, and the
striking resemblance of facial features between Pukhtoons and Jews. They believe
that the prevalence of biblical names, certain customs and superstitions,
especially smearing of the door post and walls of the house with blood of
sacrificial animals, further substantiates this theory. But these presumptions
do not hold good in view of the fact that resemblance in features and certain
characteristics do not provide a scientific criterion for the ethnology of a
race or a section of people. This can equally be said about the Kashmiris and
certain other tribes who can hardly be distinguished from Pukhtoons in physique, colour and complexion. Similarly a scrutiny of the social institutions of the
Arabs of the Middle Ages and present day Pukhtoons would lead one to believe
that Pukhtoons are not different from them in their social organisation.
Syed Bahadur Shah Zafar Kaka Khel in his well written book
"PUKHTANA" and Sir Olaf Caroe in his book "The Pathans" place little reliance on Niamatullah's theory of the Semitic origin of the Pukhtoons and say that his
account of the Pukhtoons suffers from historical inaccuracies. To disprove the
assertion that the Pukhtoon tribes had embraced Islam en-bloc after the return
of Qais Abdul Rashid from Medina, the accounts of Al-Beruni and Al-Utbi, the
contemporary historians of Mahmud of Ghazna, establish "that four centuries
later than the time of Qais the Province of Kabul had not been Islamized and
this was achieved under the Ghaznavides. The Hindu Shahiya Kingdom of Jaipal
extended almost to Kabul, Mahmud had to fight against infidel Afghans of the Sulaiman mountains". Even Prithvi Raj had a cavalry of Afghans in the battle of Tarian against Mohammad Ghori. Other writers, after a careful examination of the
physical anthropology of the Pukhtoons say that difference in features of the
various Pukhtoons point to the fact that they must have "mingled with races who
passed through their territory to conquer Hindustan".
Khawaja Niamatullah's theory has further been put to a serious
test by prominent linguists who maintain that Pushto bears no resemblance to
Hebrew or other Aramaic languages and the Pukhtoons' language, Pashto, belongs
to the family of the Eastern group of Iranian languages. Mr. Ahmad Ali Kohzad
and some other Afghan historians, lending support to the Aryan origin of the Pukhtoons, say that the Pakhat of the Rig Veda are the Pukhtoons of today. It is
a fact that the North West Frontier of Pakistan has, perhaps been involved with
more foreign invasions in the course of history than any other country of Asia.
Each horde seems to have left its mark on the Pukhtoons who absorbed the traits
of invading forces, "predominantly of Turks, Iranians and Mongols".
According to Khawaja Niamatullah the Pukhtoons embraced Islam in
the first quarter of the 7th century when the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him)
sent his emissaries in all directions to invite the people to the fold of Islam.
One such messenger is stated to have been sent to Qais Abdur Rashid, who is
claimed to be the ancestor of the Pukhtoons, through Khalid bin Walid. In
response to Khalid's invitation, Qais hurried to the Holy land and as a result
of the sublime teachings of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) embraced Islam
in Medina. After his return to Ghore, his whole tribe followed him in the Muslim
faith. But due to weak evidence, missing links and wide gaps this theory has
aroused suspicion in the minds of scholars.
If the origin of a race can be determined on the basis of
customs and traditions then Pukhtoon would be closer to Arabs. The study of
Arabian and Pukhtoon society presents a remarkable resemblance particularly in
their tribal organisation and social usages. Both possess the same virtues and
characteristics. To both hospitality is one of the finest virtues, retribution a
sacred duty and bravery an essential pre-requisite for an honourable life. Love
of independence, courage, endurance, hospitality and revenge were the supreme
virtues of pre-Islamic Arabs. These very attributes also form the basis of the Pukhtoon code of honour and anyone who repudiates them is looked down by the
society. A Pukhtoon is nearer to an Arab in his tribal organisation. Like an
Arab tent, every Pukhtoon's house represents a family, an encampment of Arab
tents forms a hay and a cluster of a few houses constitute a village in tribal
areas. Members of one hay form a clan in Arabia and a Khel (which is an Arabic
word meaning association or company) is the basis of the Pukhtoon's tribal
organisation. A number of kindred clans grouped together make a qabila in Arabia
and a tribe in the Pukhtoon borderland. Even the Pashto script resembles the
Arabic script in essence. The Arabs held in great esteem four moral virtues, viz
Ziyafah or hospitality hamasah or fortitude, muruah or manliness and courage and ird or honour.
The Pathans are brave, courageous, hospitable and generous and
these attributes are considered as pillars of the Pukhtoon code of honour or
Pukhtoonwali. The Pathans like the Arabs also believe in fire and sword for all
their adversaries. This was the reason that they fought tooth and nail against
the non-Muslim rulers of the sub-continent whether Sikhs or Feringi as the Britishers were called.
The position of a tribal Malik who plays an important role in
tribal politics is similar to that of an Arabian Sheikh. The qualifications of a
tribal Malik, such as seniority in age, qualities of head and heart and
character as courage, wisdom and sagacity etc. are not different from an Arab
Sheikh. Like a Sheikh, a tribal Malik follows the consensus of opinion. He is
required to consult the heads of the families or village council while making
any decision with regard to future relations with a village or tribe. Darun
Nadwa was the centre of activity of the pre-Islamic Arabs and the Pukhtoons'
Hujra is also not different from it in its functions. All matters relating to
war, peace, future relations with neighbouring tribes and day to day problems
used to be discussed in Darun Nadwa. Similarly, all tribal affairs connected
with the tribe are discussed in the Hujra.
Hospitality is one of the sublime features of the Pukhtoons and
pre-Islamic Arabs were also renowned for their hospitality and for affording
asylum to strangers. They would share the last crumb of their bread with a guest
and protect him from all harm so long as he was under their roof. Similarly, Pukhtoons regard hospitality as a "sacred duty and safety of the guest as
inviolable". It is a serious violation of their established norms to hurt a man
who enters their village as a guest. In the pre-independence days they provided
asylum to all and sundry, including the proclaimed offenders wanted by the
British Government in cases of a criminal nature in the settled districts.
Similarly the Arabs the right of asylum considered sacred and was rigidly
respected regardless of the crime of the refugee.
The spirit of revenge of the Pukhtoons is not different from
that of the Arabs. Blood according to the law of the desert called for blood and
no chastisement could satisfy an Arab other than wreaking vengeance on his
enemy. Similarly, the hills of the Pukhtoon highlanders vibrate with echoes of
retribution till the insult is avenged. As a matter of fact, the society of both
the Arabs and the Pukhtoons is inspired by a strong feeling of muruwwa, virility
or a quality to defend one's honour (ird). There are several anecdotes of
revenge resulting in long blood feuds for generations. The Basus war between Banu Bakr and Banu Taghlib in Arabia lasted for about 40 years whereas tribal
disputes between Gar and Samil factions of the Pukhtoons continued for decades. Pukhtoons like Arabs are conscious of their racial superiority. An Arab would
boast of being a Quraish and a Pukhtoon would assert his superiority by saying,
Am I not a Pukhtoon"?
The customs regarding giving protection to weaker neighbours is
also common between Arabs and Pukhtoons. A weaker tribe in Arabia would seek the
protection of a powerful tribe by means of Khuwah and a weaker Pukhtoon tribe
would ensure its security by offering "Lokhay" to its strong neighbouring tribe.
The custom of "Lokhay Warkawal" is still prevalent among Afridi and Orakzai
tribes of Tirah. A similarity can also be found in their customs relating to
birth, marriage and death etc. Certain superstitions are also common between the
Arabs and the Pukhtoons. Both believe in all kinds of invisible beings, wear
amulets as a safeguard against the evil eye and believe in sooth sayers and
fortune tellers.
═
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM
═
When Sindh and Multan were conquered by the Muslim army under
the inspiring leadership of the young General Mohammad bin Qasim, in 711 A.D.
this part of the South Asian Sub-Continent was still ruled by a Hindu Shahi
dynasty. Subaktagin was the first Muslim ruler who crossed swords with Jaipal, a
powerful ruler of the Hindu Shahi dynasty in 997. Later, the Muslims under the
command of his illustrious son Mahmud of Ghazna invaded the sub-continent as
many as seventeen times and fought fierce battles against Jaipal, his son Anandpal and other Hindu rulers and Rajas of Northern India. He was followed by Shahabud Din Mohammad Ghori, Qutb-ud-Din Aibak and other sultans and finally the
great Mughals who ruled the sub-continent for centuries. Things, however, began
to change after the death of Aurangzeb Alamgir, the last powerful ruler of the Mughal dynasty. The internal disputes, court intrigues and feuds of rival
factions weakened the Mughal Central Government and the centrifugal tendencies
of the Mughal Governors sounded the death knell of the mighty Mughal
Empire.
The way was thus paved for the rise of Ranjit Singh, who
eventually extended his military sway from Lahore upto the foothills of Khyber
in the first quarter of the 19th century. The Sikh advance was, however, checked
by the tribesmen who did not allow them to encroach upon their independence. The Pukhtoons fought several battles against them and finally measured their
strength of arms with the militant Sikhs in a battle fought within the environs
of Jamrud in 1837. In this pitched battle the Sikhs sustained heavy casualties.
It was here that their famous General Hari Singh Nalwa, was killed.
Twelve years later the superior and disciplined forces of the
British defeated the Sikhs in successive battles and annexed the whole of the
territory beyond the Indus river and ruled over the North West Frontier for
about a century.
The Pukhtoons resisted violently all attempts by the British to
subjugate or turn them into docile and obedient members of an enslaved
community. They offered stubborn resistance to the British forces and Inspite of
their meager means and resources, the Pukhtoons carried on an un-ending war
against them for the preservation of their liberty. The British, proud of their
glory and might, sent about one hundred expeditions one after the other against
the Pukhtoons to subdue them by force but they did not yield to the enemy's
military might. According to Col. H.C. Wylly 62 military expeditions were despatched against the tribesmen between 1849-1908, besides every day small
skirmishes. These included the famous Ambela campaign 1863, the Black Mountain
expedition 1868, the Miranzai expedition 1891, the Hassanzai expedition 1894,
the Dir and Chitral expedition 1895, the Tirah campaign 1897, and the Mahsud-Waziri expeditions 1897. As a result of this aggressive policy the whole
frontier, from Malakand to Waziristan, flared up in revolt against the British
in 1897.
The frontier rising of 1897 engaged about 98000 trained and well
equipped British Indian forces in a grim struggle. According to Col. H.D.
Hutchison, the approximate strength of the Tirah expeditionary force alone was
"1010 British Officers, 10,882 British troops, 491 native officers, 22,123
native troops, 197 hospital Assistants, 179 clerks, 19,558 followers, 8000
horses, 18,384 mules and ponies and 1440 hospital riding ponies". But to these
figures, he says, "must be added an enormous number of camels, carts, ponies etc
working on the long line of communication with Kohat and gradually brought into
use as needs increased and the roads were improved". The British forces suffered
1150 casualties during the Tirah expedition. Similar was the fate of other
expeditions as well. The operations against Mohmand in 1915-16, and Wazirs and
Mahsuds between 1917-1920 and 1936 Waziri campaign also deserves special
mention. In 1917 an arduous campaign was undertaken against the Mahsuds and an
aeroplane was made use of for the first time in Waziristan. In 1936 the dales
and mountains of Waziristan resounded with the echoes of Jehad. The main cause
of the war was the marriage of Islam Bibi (a Hindu Girl of Bannu who was named
Islam Bibi after conversion to Islam) with a Muslim. She was later on returned
to her parents in accordance with the decision of the British law court. The
Government sent over 30,000 well equipped army to curb the activities of the
tribal lashkars in Waziristan but it met with no or little success. "By December
1937", says Authur Swinson, "when the 40,000 British and Indian troops pulled
back on Peshawar, the situation was no better than it had been in January, and
in 1938 more fighting was to ensue." The expenditure on the Frontier war and
"the burden on the Indian tax payer was enormous and between 1924 and 1939 it totalled 11,2000,000 pounds". But the long range heavy guns and air bombardment
did not dishearten the tribesmen and they continued their intermittent struggle
against an imperialist power till the dawn of Independence. "Throughout the
hundred and odd years of the British rule over the North West Frontier, Waziristan was always one of the most heavily garrisoned areas anywhere in the
world. Seething with political unrest and ceaseless guerilla warfare, this was
the testing place - the crucible of valour and efficiency for generations of
British soldiers, statesmen and civil servants". The British invariably deputed
their ablest military and civil officers to serve in these areas which had
become the best training ground for the British soldiers. In fact, the British
soldiers had never before experienced such tough and arduous life as on the
Frontier. This is well reflected from a stanza of Mr. Kipling's "Frontier
Arithmetic"
"A scrimmage in a Border Station
A center down some dark defile,
Two thousand pounds of education
Drops to a ten rupee Jezail".
SOURCES OF INCOME
The Pukhtoons are chiefly employed in agriculture but their
agricultural pursuits are limited owing to the lack of culturable land. The
patches of cultivable land in hilly tracts and some open valleys do not produce
sufficient food-grains to meet their food requirements. In addition to tilling
the available land, tribesmen tend cattle, including herds of goats and sheep,
camels and cows.
If, on the one hand, the tribesmen were economically dependent
on the British, on the other, all kinds of trade in tribal areas had been
monopolized by Hindus and Sikhs. They had opened shops in the centrally located
places and big villages and every tribesman was their customer. A large number
of tribesmen would go to Bombay in search of employment while others would join
the Border Military Police (later called the Frontier Constabulary) and the
army. Certain sections of the tribesmen would sell firewood and timber to the
people of the cities, while others took up some other petty trade. But among the
tribesmen, the Adam Khel Afridis of the Kohat Pass had a flare for trade. They
were traders and carriers of salt at the time of the advent of the British in
the frontier. They used to carry salt from the mines of Kohat District to Swat, Bajaur and other parts of the NWFP.
They also engaged themselves in a thriving and lucrative arms
trade and later started manufacturing fire-arms in their factories. Other
tribesmen emulated their example and set up arms factories at Illam Gudar
(Khyber Agency), Nawagai (Bajaur Agency) and Kaniguram (South Waziristan
Agency). The Adam Khel Afridis of the Kohat Pass showed the most extraordinary
ingenuity in devising, making and installing different kinds of indigenous
machines for turning out various component parts of rifles. In the beginning of
the 20th century there were about half a dozen workshops in Darra but later this
industry rapidly expanded to every glen and village. They were also famous gun
runners and carried on arms trade with the Persian Gulf countries. In this way
they supplemented the arms pile of the tribesmen and furnished them with the
latest weapons at reasonable rates. At present the Adam Khel Afridis are
producing such fine specimen of revolvers, pistols and rifles with their crude
implements that they can hardly be distinguished from those of European-make. It
can be confidently said that nowhere in the world has a similar feat been
performed by un-educated men with no training or experience of mass production
methods. The arms manufacturing industry was the main source of the Afridis'
income during the British rule.
